The Argosy, April 1916 — page 161: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SNF 324. velopment raised him to a pitch of fighting rage. Griscom’s. voice came to him over the wire. He had not taken his interrupted nap kindly and was irritable. “Listen, and don’t be more of an ass than you can help, Griscom,’” barked Lansing. ‘““Miss Granger was left in the motor-boat by Clarkin, where she was picked up by a Newport policeman and taken to the City Hospital. The hospital people phoned around to the Nealis house where I am staying, as you know, and informed the family that she was there and had named the Nealis address— “Wait a minute, will you—then you'll have it all. That is you’ll have all that I know. .Arnold Nealis went around in his car to get her and did get her. He was on his way back. The next we know a police- man drives around with the car; he found it empty on Pelham Street. Now what do you make of that?” “There must be # reason why some one, besides Clarkin, wanted the girl,” replied Griscom. “Why?” shouted Lansing. “Well, I think I can tell you that. Miss Granger, in her arrangement with these al- leged moving picture people, has visited cer- tain places here and in New York that must be stocked with certain valuable data that we should very much like to get our hands on. We have most of the crowd as prisoners over at the fort, but there are still two or three loose, especially Count Apponnetti—”’ ‘“‘Apponnetti!”’ 3 Lansing’s voice rose. ‘“‘Apponneti! I had forgotten about that slimy rascal.” “Well, he hasn’t forgotten about us,” re- plied Griscom. ‘“‘And he probably has the best reasons in the world for getting hold of Miss Granger and keeping hold of her. In the light of all that has happened she knows too much about him for his own comfort; at least I imagine she’s a bright enough young lady to put two and two to- gether.” “By Jove!” Lansing’s breath came in a whistle. ‘‘So you think he is at the bottom of this new phase of things?” “T’ll gamble on it,” was the reply. “But in the meantime I can tell you that the news, so far as I am concerned is good. The crowd is still in Newport.” “T know, but what about the girl? Can you dig up any idea of where she is now?” 151 Lansing paused. “And Nealis, too. Why did they kidnap him?” ‘They had to take him to get the girl,” was the reply. ‘‘I suppose they imposed upon him with some cock and bull yarn, just as they did the girl.” Griscom’s voice was calm and even. ‘What will probably happen within the next half hour,” he went on, “will be that you'll hear of your friend being found be- hind some nice green hedge with a dent in his head, even assuming his throat has not been cut.” ‘Holy Caesar!” Lansing’s breath caught. “And you—” “TI can say nothing now,” was the reply. “But I want you to do this: I want you to stay where you are until I come for you. I want you where I can lay hands on you; for my friend, I need a fighting man such as you, in my business.” Griscom rang off before Lansing could reply. Stewart then went out to the ve- randa, and told Dorothy as much concern- ing her brother as he thought wise for her to know. Drawing Granger to one side, he related in substance the essence of his conversation with Griscom. “He seems to know more than he will tell over the telephone,” Lansing added, “and I’m going to wait here for him. I suggest you do the same. We can gain nothing by rushing around headlessly.”’ Granger agreed with him, and with hag- gard face turned to his fiancée. Lansing had not long to ponder upon the wisdom of Griscom’s remarks, for at least one of his statements was proven with a conclusiveness that was startling. Hodge-Martin, of the British Legation, summering at Newport, appeared in his low gray car as Granger and Miss Nealis passed into the house. Beside him on the seat slouched the pallid figure of Arnold Nealis. There was blood upon his shirt and his light summer coat, and he slumped from side to side with the movements of the car, as though not under full control of his faculties. “Hello, Lansing,” cried the Englishman. — “My word, I was driving around from Eastern Point when I saw this dejected: figure propped up against a telegraph pole. I guess our good friend was chucked from a racing car. I can’t get anything out of him, don’t you know. I fancy you had better call a physician.” “I fancy so, too,” Lansing replied grim- COmiclbooks C@